Robert and Caroline’s mid century home with dreamy St. Charles kitchen cabinets
Kate - Updated: August 30, 2021
Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.
Robert and Caroline
By now, most of us have seen the inspiring photos from Sarah’s Gilbert Spindel round house, but did you know: Sarah’s parents also became new owners of a marvelous 1953 mid century ranch house last year. The house boasts many of the original details, including furniture and decor left by the original owner. And, when the kitchen and bathroom needed some attention before Robert and Caroline could move in, Sarah was able to give them some great decor advice and also point them in the direction of the many resources available here on Retro Renovation. The result: Another retro remodel well done.
Sarah writes:
It all started last Christmas, when my parents and I were invited to a new friend’s house for a party. Immediately my Mom and I started drooling over the architecture and period details in the house. The house was exactly my parents’ style. We joked with the owners that whenever they plan to sell in the future to give us a call. Little did my parents know that three months later that very call would come. Even though it was sudden my parents jumped on the opportunity. My parents ‘refreshed’ the kitchen and one of the bathrooms last year before moving in.
Model of the home 1953.
[The house was ] built in 1953 by an heiress to a lumber fortune. She had the house built with the best quality lumber, but insisted on planting no trees. Trees were simply for making money not enjoying. She only lived in the house for a couple of years before moving. She left everything. She took her clothes and a few personal mementos and left everything else! That is why a few pieces have been left behind from all of the past owners.
The house features a central courtyard with a beautiful marble statue of a ‘teaching Buddha’ that Mrs. McGehee may have bought or had commissioned along with the marble mantle in the formal living room.The shell motif on the mantle is also repeated on the original table and mirror sets in the entrance. The previous owners installed the slate flooring in the home, it was originally wall to wall carpeting in those rooms. According to those who remember, the house was originally mainly painted and decorated in green.
Although the paint colors have changed over the years, luckily for having had four or five previous owners, no major renovations were ever made to the house. The house was in overall great condition, it only needed a little bit of TLC.
Kitchen freshening — original St. Charles steel kitchen cabinets
The kitchen is any Retro Renovation reader’s dream. 1953 St. Charles cabinets as far as the eye can see! This is a big kitchen by today’s standards, so I imagine that it must have been quite the show stopper in its day.
But after 60 years of daily use some of the original paint was worn down to the primer, especially around the handles. And the peel n stick vinyl floor was peeling up and needed to go.
Because I’m a regular Retro Renovation reader, I knew exactly what needed to be done. One of our friend’s husband is an auto body painter and was up for the job, even though he had never painted metal cabinets before. He and his friend worked on the project on the weekends. The doors and drawers were removed and painted at their booth. They also worked on any dents or warps. The cabinet boxes were painted on site. Everything was taped off and overall it didn’t create much of a mess. We used PPG auto paint and it really shines just like a new car off the assembly line.
Precautionary Pam pops in: Sarah and her parents used professionals; another reminder that when working with old materials, be sure to get with your own properly licensed professionals to determine what you are working with so that you can make informed decisions how to handle, become familiar with and use recommended best practices, and also learn about the proper disposal of debris, etc. Be Safe / Renovate Safe
We used Armstrong’s Striations line in the “atmosphere” color for the floor. It’s streaky like vintage VCT but comes in the modern 12″x24″ size. We experimented with about five different ways of laying out the floor tile and went with a herringbone pattern.
The floor was sealed and a matte coating applied.
The countertop is the original laminate or maybe cusheen? Its a very thick laminate and it has a slight give, that’s why I think it may be cusheen but I have no basis of comparison. The stove area has a stainless steel countertop. The backsplash is the same material as the countertop, maybe 3 or 4 inches high, then edged in aluminum or stainless, then a solid black glass the rest of the way up. (all original) Mom placed the remaining liner tiles on that edge just for decoration, they aren’t secured.
The vintage dining set is the same table and chair set that was in the kitchen on The Golden Girls.
The finishing detail was replacing the old light fixture for the new chrome Sputnik chandelier — which was purchased from Practical Props — a company I also found through Retro Renovation. The kitchen has endured 60 years of use and is now ready for 60 more!
Bathroom Remodel
The house has 3 1/2 bathrooms. A bathroom for every bedroom, which must have been quite the luxury. All of the bathrooms were original and so unique but the brown and white bathroom left much to be desired. The brown tile seemed to have a permanent layer of hard water residue, some of the tiles were cracked and overall we weren’t fans of the color scheme.
This is also the only bathroom with a standing shower, so it was going to be used the most. We decided to just redo the tile work and to keep the new look in style with the other bathrooms in the house. We kept the tub, toilet, sink and medicine cabinet as well as the layout. We tossed around several design ideas and shopped around town and the Internet for inspiration.
Sarah’s bird Basil also helped select the liner tile.
We sampled several colors of grout but went with light gray.
The advantage of using the white subway tile and bullnose is that it’s easy to find and relatively cheap. We pulled ours straight off the shelf at Lowe’s. Now the bathroom is very customizable. Just about any color can be pulled from the sizzle strips for wall and towel colors.
The bumble bee yellow bathroom is a twin of the redone bathroom, same size and layout. One can’t help but perk up in such a sunshiny space!
The master bathroom has the most amazing mirrored vanity. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
And when you open one of the fabulous mirrored cabinets you will find a bottle of Windex because it is a daily necessity.
It also has a white princess tub and coke bottle green hex floor tiles.
The half bath is a wild little nook with its harlequin wallpaper, blue fixtures and pearloid toilet seat. I love the one playing guitar! I’m not sure if the toilet seat changed color over time but it is a bit greener than the toilet.
Although my parents love their new house’s welcoming layout and abundance of natural light, they really appreciate their new neighbors and neighborhood. Their neighborhood boasts charming cottages, mid century modern gems and older southern style homes all under a canopy of large mature oaks. The neighbors switch off on hosting monthly block parties and are most often seen jogging and walking their dogs. It’s a retro neighborhood in the best way.
Mega thanks to Sarah, for taking all of the photos and sending in the back story of her parent’s lovely house. Robert and Caroline — what a gem you have. Your kitchen is just to die for — and the bathrooms are superb. Thank you so much for opening up your home to all of us for this spectacular tour. It is great to know that this special home has caretakers that appreciate and preserve the fabulous original details.
Resource list:
Kitchen cabinet paint — PPG Automotive paint — Boxes painted on-site, doors and drawer fronts painted offsite in professional spray booth
Kitchen flooring — Armstrong Striations flooring
Kitchen starburst light —
Bathroom wall tile — Subway tile off the shelf from Home Depot
Bathroom flooring — American Olean Chloe from Home Depot
Where to start! “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods..” (bookmarked for future reference!)
Janicesays
You had me at “heiress to a lumber company”. I knew then this house was going to be a wowzer and I was not wrong! Simply stunning and anything turquoise is beautiful in my opinion, but those cabinets are to die for! Your parents are very lucky to be the new owners of this beautiful home and they were lucky to have you helping along the way. Well done from top to bottom – what a treat it was to get a peak inside this fabulous home!
Marysays
My favorite feature is the interior courtyard. I’ve wanted one of those forever.
Steve Hsays
Me too! Ever since I was a kid and I read a book on ancient Pompeii and saw pictures of the Roman homes with courtyards.
June Cahillsays
Oh, and tell your Ma that the ‘liner tiles’ in the kitchen look just super!:)
Marysays
I die.
June Cahillsays
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. The kitchen (and I didn’t miss the tiny little ‘canned ham’ with pine tree on the top corner shelf!) – The BATHROOMS! – and the exquisite and thoughtful way the one bath was ‘re-tooled’ – to be sensitive to the era, yet, unstated color, what a JOY to use that bath!
This home was not ‘inexpensive’ and neither are the ‘refreshing updates’ that take into account time, research, expense and patience – but the outcome is A#1. Kudos to these homeowners – and many years of enjoyment to come!
pam kuebersays
Commenters, remember one of our key rules of commenting: “No one can be made to feel bad for their decisions.” Even if you do not like one itsy bitsy thing or change, well be very careful to state it as a positive. Or zip it. Thank you.
I edited two. From now on I will delete entire comment tout suit, for sake of time management.
The glass back splash in the kitchen is probably Carrara Structural glass or Vitrolite. 1953 would have been right around the time that structural glass tile went out of fashion (and business). It was used heavily in the 30s and 40s on store fronts, kitchens, and bathrooms. Beautiful home!
Roundhouse Sarahsays
Thanks for the insight! I had never seen a backsplash like this before
52PostnBeamsays
The most common material for those old counter tops with molded steel edging is linoleum, which is made of organic linseed oil and has a softer consistency than Formica. It may give off a slight odor over time as the oils break down.
Lovely house and kitchen, what a score!
pam kuebersays
52, I think that metal edging was commonly used for counter tops made from both linoleum and laminate. Linoleum was used on countertops virtually exclusively until after World War II. After World War II, laminate slowly but surely made its way to dominance. I tend to think that laminate countertops with banded and postformed edges did not become popular until the late 1950s or even more likely the early 1960s.
Caroline Roesays
WOW!!! Love what you did with those strips in the bathroom – BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!
& that kitchen is my dream kitchen – we’re going to do Aqua cabinets as well in our new home – this is great additional food for thought – LOVE IT!!!!
I love this house. I love the kitchen. I love the bathrooms. I didn’t think I’d like the random colored tile strips, but I love them! I think there’s a reason we live in a tiny two-bedroom, though. A house only looks as nice as its cleanliness, and I shudder to think how the vanity would look if we lived there.
Sarah writes:The house features a central courtyard with a beautiful marble statue of a ‘teaching Buddha’ that Mrs. McGehee may have bought or had commissioned along with the marble mantle in the formal living room.
The shell motif on the mantle is also repeated on the original table and mirror sets in the entrance. The previous owners installed the slate flooring in the home, it was originally wall to wall carpeting in those rooms. According to those who remember, the house was originally mainly painted and decorated in green.
The kitchen is any Retro Renovation reader’s dream. 1953 St. Charles cabinets as far as the eye can see! This is a big kitchen by today’s standards, so I imagine that it must have been quite the show stopper in its day.
But after 60 years of daily use some of the original paint was worn down to the primer, especially around the handles. And the peel n stick vinyl floor was peeling up and needed to go.
Because I’m a regular Retro Renovation reader, I knew exactly what needed to be done. One of our friend’s husband is an auto body painter and was up for the job, even though he had never painted metal cabinets before. He and his friend worked on the project on the weekends. The doors and drawers were removed and painted at their booth. They also worked on any dents or warps. The cabinet boxes were painted on site. Everything was taped off and overall it didn’t create much of a mess. We used PPG auto paint and it really shines just like a new car off the assembly line.
We used Armstrong’s Striations line in the “atmosphere” color for the floor. It’s streaky like vintage VCT but comes in the modern 12″x24″ size. We experimented with about five different ways of laying out the floor tile and went with a herringbone pattern.
The floor was sealed and a matte coating applied.
The vintage dining set is the same table and chair set that was in the kitchen on The Golden Girls.
The finishing detail was replacing the old light fixture for the new chrome Sputnik chandelier — which was purchased from Practical Props — a company I also found through Retro Renovation. The kitchen has endured 60 years of use and is now ready for 60 more!
The house has 3 1/2 bathrooms. A bathroom for every bedroom, which must have been quite the luxury. All of the bathrooms were original and so unique but the brown and white bathroom left much to be desired. The brown tile seemed to have a permanent layer of hard water residue, some of the tiles were cracked and overall we weren’t fans of the color scheme.
This is also the only bathroom with a standing shower, so it was going to be used the most. We decided to just redo the tile work and to keep the new look in style with the other bathrooms in the house. We kept the tub, toilet, sink and medicine cabinet as well as the layout. We tossed around several design ideas and shopped around town and the Internet for inspiration.
We sampled several colors of grout but went with light gray.
The advantage of using the white subway tile and bullnose is that it’s easy to find and relatively cheap. We pulled ours straight off the shelf at Lowe’s. Now the bathroom is very customizable. Just about any color can be pulled from the sizzle strips for wall and towel colors.
The bumble bee yellow bathroom is a twin of the redone bathroom, same size and layout. One can’t help but perk up in such a sunshiny space!
The master bathroom has the most amazing mirrored vanity. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
And when you open one of the fabulous mirrored cabinets you will find a bottle of Windex because it is a daily necessity.
It also has a white princess tub and coke bottle green hex floor tiles.
The half bath is a wild little nook with its harlequin wallpaper, blue fixtures and pearloid toilet seat. I love the one playing guitar! I’m not sure if the toilet seat changed color over time but it is a bit greener than the toilet.
Although my parents love their new house’s welcoming layout and abundance of natural light, they really appreciate their new neighbors and neighborhood. Their neighborhood boasts charming cottages, mid century modern gems and older southern style homes all under a canopy of large mature oaks. The neighbors switch off on hosting monthly block parties and are most often seen jogging and walking their dogs. It’s a retro neighborhood in the best way.
Mega thanks to Sarah, for taking all of the photos and sending in the back story of her parent’s lovely house. Robert and Caroline — what a gem you have. Your kitchen is just to die for — and the bathrooms are superb. Thank you so much for opening up your home to all of us for this spectacular tour. It is great to know that this special home has caretakers that appreciate and preserve the fabulous original details.
Susan says
Where to start! “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods, thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods..” (bookmarked for future reference!)
Janice says
You had me at “heiress to a lumber company”. I knew then this house was going to be a wowzer and I was not wrong! Simply stunning and anything turquoise is beautiful in my opinion, but those cabinets are to die for! Your parents are very lucky to be the new owners of this beautiful home and they were lucky to have you helping along the way. Well done from top to bottom – what a treat it was to get a peak inside this fabulous home!
Mary says
My favorite feature is the interior courtyard. I’ve wanted one of those forever.
Steve H says
Me too! Ever since I was a kid and I read a book on ancient Pompeii and saw pictures of the Roman homes with courtyards.
June Cahill says
Oh, and tell your Ma that the ‘liner tiles’ in the kitchen look just super!:)
Mary says
I die.
June Cahill says
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. The kitchen (and I didn’t miss the tiny little ‘canned ham’ with pine tree on the top corner shelf!) – The BATHROOMS! – and the exquisite and thoughtful way the one bath was ‘re-tooled’ – to be sensitive to the era, yet, unstated color, what a JOY to use that bath!
This home was not ‘inexpensive’ and neither are the ‘refreshing updates’ that take into account time, research, expense and patience – but the outcome is A#1. Kudos to these homeowners – and many years of enjoyment to come!
pam kueber says
Commenters, remember one of our key rules of commenting: “No one can be made to feel bad for their decisions.” Even if you do not like one itsy bitsy thing or change, well be very careful to state it as a positive. Or zip it. Thank you.
I edited two. From now on I will delete entire comment tout suit, for sake of time management.
Read: https://retrorenovation.com/2013/10/16/reminder-commenting/
Thank you.
BlueJay says
The glass back splash in the kitchen is probably Carrara Structural glass or Vitrolite. 1953 would have been right around the time that structural glass tile went out of fashion (and business). It was used heavily in the 30s and 40s on store fronts, kitchens, and bathrooms. Beautiful home!
Roundhouse Sarah says
Thanks for the insight! I had never seen a backsplash like this before
52PostnBeam says
The most common material for those old counter tops with molded steel edging is linoleum, which is made of organic linseed oil and has a softer consistency than Formica. It may give off a slight odor over time as the oils break down.
Lovely house and kitchen, what a score!
pam kueber says
52, I think that metal edging was commonly used for counter tops made from both linoleum and laminate. Linoleum was used on countertops virtually exclusively until after World War II. After World War II, laminate slowly but surely made its way to dominance. I tend to think that laminate countertops with banded and postformed edges did not become popular until the late 1950s or even more likely the early 1960s.
Caroline Roe says
WOW!!! Love what you did with those strips in the bathroom – BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!
& that kitchen is my dream kitchen – we’re going to do Aqua cabinets as well in our new home – this is great additional food for thought – LOVE IT!!!!
Laura's Last Ditch--Vintage Kitchenwares says
I love this house. I love the kitchen. I love the bathrooms. I didn’t think I’d like the random colored tile strips, but I love them! I think there’s a reason we live in a tiny two-bedroom, though. A house only looks as nice as its cleanliness, and I shudder to think how the vanity would look if we lived there.